1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates to a wristwatch, and in particular to a watch and band for securing the watch to a wearer's wrist.
2. Description Relative to the Prior Art
The watch chronometer has a long and colorful history. According to the WORLD BOOK ENCYCLOPEDIA, watches first appeared in the early 1500's, made possible by the invention of the mainspring. They were bulky, heavy and inaccurate, and were usually worn around the neck or belt suspended by a cord or chain. Within the next 100 years, watches became smaller and by the late 1600's could be carried in a pocket of a jacket or vest. The pocket watch was in vogue for the next 200 years, and it was not until the late 1800's that the wristwatch came into common use, and has remained the watch of choice ever since. It is estimated that over sixty million watches, mostly wristwatches, are sold annually in the United States.
While the "works" of the watch, i.e. the time keeping mechanism contained within the "case" of the watch, has evolved in a spectacular manner, the geometry of the basic case of the wristwatch, and the way the case is attached to the wrist has substantially remained the same ever since the wristwatch was invented. Modern works may include precision mechanical assemblies or sophisticated electronic circuits driving minute and second hands, mechanical displays, electronic analog displays or digital displays. However, the case is still a substantially flat (or sometimes slightly curved) enclosure generally having a circular, elliptical or quadrangular cross-section for containing the mechanism, and usually having two band attachment positions located diametrically opposed to each other on side edges of the case, with a single band for wrapping around the wearer's wrist. In FIG. 1, a watch and band 10, as most commonly practiced in the art, has a case 12 with two band attachment points 14, 16, and a single wristband 18 secured to the case 12. In the disclosure of the present invention, multiple band attachment points are defined to be a number of attachment points greater than two. As shown in FIG. 2, some watch cases known in the art may have two attachment points 22,24 and 28, 30 on each of the edges of the case 32,34. Other watch cases known in the art have other multiple attachment points on the case's opposing edges, but it will be noted that the prior art only teaches equal number of attachment points at opposite edges of the watch case. For example, referring to FIG. 5, a multiple strap watchband 62 is disclosed which may be used with the watch e.g. 20, of FIG. 2. The watchband 62 has straps 64, 66 which have an axle 70 running through loops at the straps' ends, securing the ends along a common line. At their ends, the straps 64,66 are mounted on the axle 70, and buckles 72,74 are rotatably mounted on the axle 70. The straps 64,66 have loops 76, 78 at their ends opposite to the axle 70, which are attachable to the attachment points of the case of the watch. The mating portion of the watchband 62 has straps 82,84 with end loops 86,88 for securing to the appropriate attachment points of the case of a watch. The tongue ends 90,92 of the straps 84,82 mate with, and are secured by, the buckles 72,74 when the band 62 encircles the wearer's wrist. It will be noted that the watchband 62 has the same number of straps for connection at the opposite locations on the watch's case, i.e. 2 straps, and accordingly the buckles may be placed at the ends of corresponding straps as shown in FIG. 5 It is towards the improvement of the wristwatch having such case structure, and the band securing it to the wrist that the present invention is directed.